NSW Fisheries continue crackdown on illegal fishing

Each man was fined $3000 and ordered to pay professional costs of $500.

Fisheries officers responded to information provided by the public to the Fishers Watch hotline concerning the illegal take of a large amount of prohibited size blue swimmer crabs on January 31 last year.

The three men were stopped by fisheries officers as they entered their vehicle after placing three large buckets of blue swimmer crabs into the rear boot area,

“A father and son were found in joint possession of 103 prohibited size blue swimmer crabs, measuring between 4.1cm and 5.5cm,” said NSW Department of Primary Industries Director of Fisheries Compliance, Patrick Tully.

“The third man was found in possession of 30 prohibited size blue swimmer crabs measuring between 4.3cm and 5.3cm.”

Recreational fishers must not take more than 10 blue swimmer crabs per day or possess more than 20 blue swimmer crabs at any time.

Crab measurers are provided free of charge by NSW DPI and are available at all coastal fisheries offices.

The minimum legal size limit for blue swimmer crabs is 6cm.

“The coastal estuarine waters on the NSW South Coast can produce large stocks of blue swimmer crabs, which attract an increased number of fishers during the summer period,” Mr Tully said.

“Fisheries officers will continue to regularly patrol Lake Wollumboola and other coastal estuarine waters to detect and deter illegal fishing activities this summer.”

This follows a similar case in Nowra Local Court last month where three Sydney men were each fined $5000 and ordered to pay costs of more than $5800 after being caught with more than 270 blue swimmer crabs at Culburra Beach in February last year.

Any suspected illegal fishing activity can be reported to the Fishers Watch phone line on 1800 043 536.